Blog

Blog

Recreational drone pilots

In Canada, the quick answer is none. When Transport Canada released Interim Order No. 8 Respecting the Use of Model Aircraft in 2017, there was no requirement for the operator to have any level of minimum knowledge of the model/UAV being operated. The operating interfaces of modern recreational UAVs are becoming so intuitive that any operator with a good working knowledge of smart phones, can easily start flying in a matter of minutes from bringing home a new acquisition from the local electronics store.

The Transport Safety Board of Canada just released a fact-gathering investigation into an in-flight collision between a drone and a 9 passenger commercial aircraft (Beechcraft King Air 100). Although there was a very large potential for disaster, thankfully there were no injuries, and the greatest damage appears to be the disintegration of the drone.

Canfly Drones will be expanding our blog, offering articles on how borrowing practises from commercial aviation can benefit UAV/drone service providers.

In the early days of setting up a UAV services provider, I learned that when speaking with Transport Canada inspectors, if I gave my brief background as an airline pilot, the pace of the conversation accelerated. A whole different world exists that people immersed in Canadian Avation share. From a common set of regulations (Canadian Aviation Regulations) and industry practises, to a whole new language of acronyms and technical terms, those with the knowledge base are able to communicate more efficiently, as there is no necessity to lay a common knowledge foundation. I remember an instance of listening to two nurses speaking about their workplace. Although the nurses worked in different departments of the same hospital, both were able to fully understand the difficulties and rewards of the others position. On the other hand, I was lost!

As UAVs will be sharing the same airspace as recreational and commercial manned aircraft,, the knowledge level of UAV operators will need to be comparable to the balance of operators. Currently, an educational disparity exists between manned and unmanned aviation; students of manned aviation have typically invested a minimum of months into learning their skill, as a requirement of the privilege to operate an aircraft in the Canadian Domestic Airspace. A UAV operator could potentially be operating in the same airspace as quick as it takes to get to the closest electronics store, and putting down money for the newest offerings from the likes of DJI. Transport Canada has been aware of this disparity for some time, and been trying to keep a level the playing field for all stakeholders. Commercial operators of UAVs have been required to demonstrate an above average understanding understanding of the Canadian Aviation Regulations through the granting of Special Flight Operating Certificates(SFOC), and the implementation of Interim Orders as a stop-gap measure until the Canadian Aviation Regulations can be updated to reflect new technology in unmanned aviation. Read more “Bridging the Gap”→

Note: Since this publication, Interim Order No. 8 has been released. This post has been edited to reflect the changes.

On March 17, 2017, Transport Canada enacted an Interim Order respecting the use of model aircraft in Canadian Domestic Airspace. The order is intended as a temporary measure to protect airspace users, and the general public, until new regulations regarding the use of UAVs can be published. This interim order will affect anyone using a UAV between 250 g and 35 kg for recreational purposes. That is nearly all of the consumer grade UAVs available for mass purchase, such as those built by DJI.

For those that operate UAVs for commercial purposes, Transport Canada still has processes in place to govern their use. Those operators that currently hold an SFOC, or operate successfully under the exemptions to an SFOC, can continue to exercise those privileges.

For a UAV hobbyist in Edmonton, options now are very limited. The easiest option is currently to seek enrollment with the Model Aeronautics Association of Canada (MAAC). Canfly Drones has built a map of the Edmonton area, showing shaded circles around aerodromes and heliports, and also the restricted airspace in the area of Namao. It should also be noted that the City of Edmonton has bylaws to in place that require a UAV operator to seek permission from the city before use of any parks for the operation of unmanned/model aircraft. Therefore, before any recreational flights occur in the City of Edmonton, you would need a very large backyard to satisfy the condition of flying to no closer than 75 m (or 30 m) from any building, vehicles, animals, crowds. For reference, most properties have backyards of between 10 to 20 meters width.

Transport Canada has released the new exemptions to the requirements of operating a UAV under an SFOC in Canada. These exemptions are an update to those previously in effect to December of 2016, and will remain in effect until no later than December 31, 2019

UAV technology is still short of allowing a full integration into the Canadian airspace system. As Transport Canada has a mandate to protect airspace stakeholders, as well as the public, these exemptions were authorised by the Minister of Transport to allow non-recreational UAV users to operate in areas of low-risk to the general public and airspace users.

An operator with a curren (or recent) SFOC will find the conditions required to exercise the exemptions run parallel to a good deal of conditions required by an SFOC. Although the exemptions are not a licence to operate a UAV in an unrestricted fashion, a UAV operator that flies repeatedly over the same site, which is located well outside of populated areas, may find their operation can easily fit into the requirements of the exemptions.

Transport Canada has released a new new online form for reporting UAV incidents in Canada. The concept of the online form is a central repository for concerns by any member of the public, in regards to drones. We need to emphasize that this does not replace 911/Emergency Services: If a UAV is witnessed endangering people or property, then emergency services need to be notified.